Letter 1553: The vile and God-hated Zosimus dares to serve as priest — as you write with shock.
To Eustathius the Monk. The monastic life is not a refuge from responsibility but a higher form of it. The monk who withdraws from the world in order to escape its demands has missed the point entirely, for the demands of the spiritual life are far more exacting than those of the secular. In the world, a man is judged by his outward success; in the monastery, he is judged by his inward purity. In the world, a man may hide his vices behind a respectable exterior; in the monastery, every vice is eventually exposed by the relentless scrutiny of communal life and the unflinching honesty of the spiritual director. Therefore do not suppose that by becoming a monk you have escaped judgment; you have merely exchanged a lenient judge for a strict one, and a forgiving tribunal for an exacting one. But the reward is proportionate to the rigor: for the monk who perseveres to the end receives not merely an earthly crown but an eternal one, not merely the praise of men but the approval of God. The wisdom of God, which orders all things sweetly and powerfully, has arranged matters so that every virtue carries its own reward and every vice its own punishment, even in this present life. The virtuous person enjoys peace of conscience, the respect of the wise, and the friendship of God; the vicious person endures the torment of guilt, the contempt of the good, and the enmity of heaven. And these present consequences are but shadows of the eternal realities that await each soul after death, when every deed will be judged and every motive will be revealed.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
μὸν () τὸ μιαρὸν καὶ θεομισῇ, ὡς γέγραφας, Ζώ- σιμον ἱερᾶσθαι τολμᾷν " ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτό σε μᾶλλον ῥωννύτω εἰς τὸ πιστεύειν πάντως εἶναι χρίσιν, ἐν ἧ ἐχάστῳ τὸ πρόσφορον ἀπονεμηθήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ πάν- τες ἐνταῦθα ἀπελάμδανον τὰ προσήχοντα, οἱ μὲν τὰς ἁμοιδὰς, οἱ δὲ τἀπίχειρα, περιττὸς ἣν ὁ τῆς χρίσεως λόγος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολλοὶ μὲν φαῦλοι εὐημε- ροῦσι, πολλοὶ δὲ σπουδαῖοι παρευημεροῦνται, αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὃ τὸν θόρυδον ποιεῖ, τοῦ θορύδον χαὶ τῆς ταρᾶ- χῆς ὀφείλει εἶναι ἀναιρετιχὸν, ὅτι ἑχάστῳ τὸ πρέ- πὸν ἀποδοθήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἄν δίκαιος ὧν ὁ θεὸς ταῦτα περιεῖδε γινόμενα, εἰ μὴ ἔμελλε χαὶ λόγων χαὶ πράξεων χαὶ ἐννοιῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπαιτεῖν εὐθύνας " χαὶ τοῖς μὲν τιμὰς, τοῖς δὲ τιμωρίας ὁρί- ξειν. ΣΙ’. --- ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΙ͂ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ Ῥγνονεῖεῖι δὲ ἱπυΐδειγαπε ἀπιΐοος ἐπ πιοπαείετῖο. ([π. ορίεί. .) Ζδ πι6, οὐ Ὀοη0 Ὠ60 ἀΐοᾶπι, ἴῃ πιοηδβίοτίο ὁχ- ϑρδοῖδ. ἀσοθάδη δηΐπ, υἱ Δη68 οηο , Ὠεὶ Οὐ ἱπδρὶ ΟἾΔ , οἱ μ6Ρ Οπηηΐα δάπιηγαηάιϊπι Τ - ὑοδίυπι ᾽4ην ρτ θαι διηϊουπ (Δοίυπὶ, ΠΟΏΟΓΕ πιᾶχί πιο οοηηρίοχυγυδ. Ἤδη με, σὺν Θεῷ δὲ εἰρήσθω, προσδόχησον ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ " ἤξω γὰρ τὴν σὴν πρό γε πάντων ὀψόμενος θεοσέδειαν, καὶ τὸν διὰ πάντα θαυμάσιον Θεοδόσιον, διὰ μαχροῦ () φίλον ὄντα, χαὶ αφόδρα ἡμῖν τετιμημένον, περιπτυξόμενος. ΨΑΒΙΑΕ ΚΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ. () ᾿Ιπῖεγ δρόμον 6ἱ τὸ ἰηδόγυμῖ Δ θῸ οοἀϊ. ἐχ- κοπτέτω. ΠΌ551Ν. ! () Ργὸ διὰ μαχροῦ ουἀ4. γαῖ. οἱ ΑΙ. εε΄ ϑυηῖ διὰ μιχροῦ, [». ΣΙΖ'. --- ΑΡΠΟΚΡΑ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ͂. ΕΡΙΘΤΟΙΛΆΌΜ . Υ- -- ΕΡΙΞΤ. ΟΟΧΙΣ. ΟΟΧΥΙΙ. --- ΠΑΚΡΟΟΒΑἍΙ ΒΟΡΗΙΘΤΙ. δε νατὶϊ τἠείοτμνι αἀἰσεμαἑ ρεπόγιϑαε. ((οη[ἐγ. φριδί. .) Τῶν συγγραφέων οἱ μὲν αἰσχρὸν ἡγοῦνται μὴ σαφὲς εἰπεῖν, οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀσαφείᾳ τίθενται τὴν ἰσχὺν, χαὶ οἱ μὲν τιμῶσι τὸ μέτριον, οἱ δὲ ἔξω φέ- ρονται τῶν καιρῶν " οἱ μὲν τῶν ἠχριδωμένων ὥτων στοχάζονται, τοῖς δὲ ἀρχεῖ τὰ μειράχια σεῖσαι " χαὶ οἱ μὲν ἀμείνονες εἰς προοιμίου χρείαν, οἱ δὲ ἐν παρα- δείγμασίν εἶσι πλούσιοι" -οἱ μὲν οἶχτον ἐμύαλεϊν δεινοὶ, οἱ δὲ θυμόν " τῶν μὲν τὸ βραδὺ λυπηρὸν, τῶν δὲ τὸ ταχὺ τερπνόν" οἱ μὲν ὕπνον ἐμποιοῦσι, μιᾷ χαταχρώμενοι ἰδέᾳ, οἱ δὲ χαὶ ἀφαιροῦσι ταῖς μετα- Θολαῖς. Χρὴ τοίνυν τὸν βασανίσαι συγγράμματα εινὸν, πάσης χαὶ χάριτος χαὶ ἀπεχθείας ὄντα χρείτ- τονα, ἔχάστου συγγραφέως χαὶ τὴν χαχίαν χαὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν εἰδέναι" χαὶ τῇ μὲν ψηφίσασθαι, ἐδ δὲ μέμ- Β νόζοὸ νἱιυρογδηάο. Ψψασθαι. ΣΙΗ͂'. --- ΑΦΘΟΝΙΩ. ϑογίριογυπι γποιογυπαυθ δἰ αυϊάθαι ἴυγρὰ ἀυεσιῃηί οὔδουτα ἀΐοοῦο : ἴῃ οὨϑουγίιδιο ἀδεου5 ] οδδηὶ : οἱ πιοάΐυπι ἰὁπσοηϊ : ] πηοάυπι ὁχοσάμη!ι. θυϊ- ἐδ) δουι8 δυάϊυηϊ δυγί θα; σοηιθηςὶ δυηί δ - Ἰοδοθθθβ πιουΐϊβδδ6. ΝΟΠΒΟΙ ὀχογα υἱθηῖ6 ΡΓ28- δίδηϊ, ΘΧΘΙ αθυπάδηξ, (Οὐοιμπιίδογδιϊοηθπι αυϊάδπι πουπὶ ἰπουίοῦθ,, ἰγδ δἰϊ. Θυΐάδληι ἰΔτὰϊΐ- ἰαίο ἀϊδριίοθης, οοἰογ (δία ρίδοθδίὶ. Αἰΐΐ υπϊς8 ἀϊοοπάϊ (γα δου) οοποϊ ἰληϊ, δ ἱ Ἵο οε ( ουπιάθι θὁτουϊίυηι. Ὀόεαὶ ἰἰδαᾳυδ θυ, ᾳυΐ δερὶρίΆ δἰϊογαῃι) δἰῖ ὀχρίογδι γα, ΔΠΊΟΓΘ δίᾳυο ἰηυ ἀΐλ πῸἢ δυρογυὶ, οπηηίΐᾳυθ δάθο βογίρίουὶ Υἱἶυ ἰαχία ὃς Υἱγῖυβ οοφῃοδοθηάα : ἰδῆς υϊάδαι ἰδυάδηδο, ἰΠ 8πὶ ΘΟΟΧΥ͂ΠΙ. --- ΑΡΗΤΟΝΙΟ. , Ῥ νσίηδίας εἰ [ογπίταιἷο ἀιο εἐχίτεπια, σοη)μσίαπι πιεαΐπηι, υἱγοίπιίαίε ἱπ[ετίαα. ((οπ[ετ. ορὶει. ). Καὶ ἡ παρθενία, ὦ βέλτιστε, καὶ ἡ πορνεία τὰ μέτρα τοῦ νόμον ἐξέδφησαν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὖ- τοῖ;. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὑπερέπτη, ἡ δὲ παρέδη. Καὶ ἡ μὲν τὰ χοῦφα χαὶ ἀνωφερῇ, χαὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν. πολοῦντα,, ἡ δὲ τὰ χατωφερῇ χαὶ βαρέα σώματα ἐμιμήσατο " ἡ μὲν διώχει τὰ μεταδολῇς χρείττονα, ἡ δὲ ἐχεῖνα, ὧν ἡ μεταδολὴ συμφυὴς, καὶ ἡ κόλασις σύντροφος" ὁ δὲ τίμιος γάμος τούτων ἑκατέρων μέσος τυγχάνων, Υἱγείη δα, Ὀοη6 Υἱἷγ, ἃς ἴογωΐεδιίο Ἰοσἷδ ὀχοθάυηϊ τηούυπι, οἰϑὶ πο οοάσῃ πιοῦύο. [ δηΐπὶ βυροΓ- εγλάϊυν; δῷς ἰγδηϑαγοάϊυγ. ΠΠ ὰἃ, υἱ ἰονῖα 5ο]ϑηῖ, δυγβυπὶ [ογίυγ, ἰῃ σΟἰυμ406 ἰδ ΐ ς ἰδ. ἀδογβυ γΓαρίίυνγ, φγανίδ ἱπη δη8 οογρογα. [Π βθοίδιυγ πιι- ἰΔιἰοπὶ πο Οὐηοχία, πῶς πιιίαιϊοηΐ οοβπδία.,, ὃς ροίΐυ8 οδαοχία. Μαιγίποηΐαπι ἢ) ἀϊιοῦυ8 ἰηίοῦ- Ϊεεῖυπι ; Αἰἴο φυϊάδπι ἰηΐογ'υ , Γ0 ὙΘΡῸ - τῆς μέν ἔστι χατώτερος πολλῷ, τῆς δὲ ἀνώτερος ΕΑ Ιηἴυ8. Υ᾽ρρίηϊδια οοἷπι οοπἰυφίυπι τπιΐηυ5 6δὶ οἱ ἢυ- πλέον, ἢ ὅσον αὐτὸς τῆς παρθενίας ἐστὶ ταπεινότε- ρος. Διὸ χαὶ τῆς μὲν στεφανουμένης, τῆς δὲ κατα- χρινομένης, οὗτος σύμμετρον
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